Backing Down
by MarcusLaurence
Summary: A friendly conversation between Jaune and Ren leads from one thing to another. Jaune makes a bet, Ren loses his shirt, and various shenanigans ensue.


**I modeled this story after a conversation I recently had with one of my friends. Not only was it fun to write (like, really fun), but it also gave me a chance to try a couple new writing styles that wouldn't have fit into my other stories. Now that this is finished, I'll be returning to Fifty Caliber Cat and Steal Words!**

 **Thanks to all who read, review, follow, and favorite!**

* * *

"Hey Ren, what'cha reading?"

Team JNPR had been studying in their dorm room for the upcoming history exam in Professor Oobleck's class. Although, to say that the group had been studying would've been, for the most part, wholly inaccurate. In actuality, Pyrrha and Nora were simply idling away the hours until it was time for them to go to Velvet's concert in the auditorium, and Jaune and Ren had merely stayed for their company. Very little studying had actually taken place.

When Pyrrha and Nora had finally left, Jaune and Ren stayed behind to continue "studying," although Ren had pulled out a magazine and Jaune began playing games on his scroll. They shared a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.

"I'm sorry, one more time?" Ren asked, looking at the blond over the top of his magazine.

"What're you reading?"

"Oh! It's this interesting article I found about Atlas," he began, a spark in his eye. "Apparently the Atlas government suggested- wait, no, let me start over. You've heard about the man with the world's largest aura, right?" Jaune scratched his chin absentmindedly.

"Oh yeah, wasn't he famous for it? Like, they measured it and it was so excessively large that he could lift cars with it?"

"That's the one. Apparently that happened because the Atlas government suggested that his father and mother, the two people in Atlas with the largest aura, have a child."

"You mean, the government suggested they have. . . sex?" Ren raised his eyebrow at Jaune's hesitation. "And they did it?"

"Well, this _is_ Atlas we're talking about. They might've done a little _more_ than politely suggest it," Ren remarked dryly. Jaune looked back, puzzled.

"What, you mean, like they paid them?"

"Sure," he shrugged back noncommittally.

Jaune looked into the distance through one of the windows, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wouldn't need to be paid for that, I don't think." Ren rolled his eyes.

"Maybe not, but think of it from the woman's point of view. She's the one that has to get pregnant."

"Oh, that's a good point," Jaune remarked, frowning. "Huh."

The two returned to focusing on their activities, Ren going back to his article while Jaune resumed his game, low sounds coming from his scroll. After a couple minutes of uninterrupted silence, Jaune paused his game again.

"Hey, Ren?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"H-how much money would you need to accept before you had sex with a dude?" Ren lowered his magazine in surprise. "Just out of curiosity, I mean, I- yeah."

To his surprise, Ren lowered his magazine completely, giving actual thought to his answer. He spoke after a few moments. "Well, probably somewhere around one Lien." Now it was Jaune's turn to look at him in surprise.

"Just one Lien?"

"Well sure," Ren explained, "I mean, think about it. If he's a really nice guy, why wouldn't I? If it's done respectfully and consensually, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't. Of course," he qualified, shrugging with his hands, "It would involve some personal preference."

"Even if it's a guy?"

"Does it matter?"

"Er, no, I suppose it doesn't," Jaune admitted. "I just. . . never thought about it." He stood up, pacing across the room. He smiled to himself, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline. "So," he began, "If I gave you a dollar. . ."

"Would I sleep with you?" Ren finished for him. "Maybe," he winked. "Interested in finding out?"

Jaune's mouth went dry. This was still in the realm of joking, right? Right? To be fair, it wasn't as if he hadn't admired Ren's body before, but to _sleep_ with him? As in actually going all the way? Why was his heart beating so fast?

Without thinking, his hand reached around to his back pocket. _What the hell am I doing?_ Hands acting almost on their own accord he pulled out his wallet, flipping it open. Ren raised his eyebrows. A single Lien note was pulled out slowly, held between Jaune's index and middle fingers. He waved it enticingly in front of Ren.

"You going to put your money where your mouth is?" he purred, leaning forward. _Oh god, what did I just do? Who is this ultra confident version of me?! Where has he been all my life?_ His thoughts then split off into a new form of panic. _How is Ren going to react? Oh no, did I just make it weird? Like, really really weird?_

To his complete and utter surprise, Ren didn't recoil. He didn't even flinch. Instead, the raven-haired boy leaned forward. Jaune froze in place, unsure how to react. How was he _supposed_ to react? Was there a standard on which he could base his next movements? And, more importantly, why could he feel the heat of a blush coloring his cheeks?

Stopping six inches from his face, Ren tentatively reached his hand up and brushed his fingers against Jaune's chin. Jaune likened the gentle feeling of his fingertips to that of a soft down feather brush. "I-uh. . . Ren? What're you do-"

Ren silenced his words by placing his thumb over Jaune's lips. He moved it from side to side, tracing the outline. First the top, then the bottom. _Have my lips always been this sensitive?_ Ren's lips tilted up in a slight smile as he focused on Jaune's breathing, which had picked up ever so slightly.

 _Shit, calm down! He's just testing you!_

"You're nearly shaking, and you're worried about _me_ being the one that can't put his money where his mouth is?" Ren grinned, looking up to meet his eyes. "My my Jaune, that sounds like quite a double standard."

"Well! It's not like I'm going to back down! I paid you, didn't I?" Ren tilted his head, lowering his hand. Jaune consciously forced himself to refrain from swiping his tongue across his lips to make up for the absence of Ren's fingers. "Tell you what, Ren. I'll make you a bet," Jaune leaned forward even more, hoping to catch him off guard. Now he and Ren were separated by a mere three inches. Neither backed down.

"A bet?"

"I'll bet that you won't give me another Lien to take off your shirt." Ren laughed lightly, but his face didn't betray any more information. _Could I have scared him off? Have I won?_

"I'll give you fifteen if you take _my_ shirt off for me."

 _SHIT!_

"Fif-fifteen Lien?" Jaune asked nervously. Ren nodded, nearly imperceptibly. "To take off your shirt?" Another nod. _Well, it's not like I can back down now._

Jaune sat down on the bed, placing himself down so their knees brushed together. Ren crossed his legs and turned to better face him. He stayed still as Jaune reached forward, a surprised look flitting across his face when Jaune froze in place, their eyes meeting.

"C-close your eyes, Ren!"

"Close my eyes? Why?" he asked, his crooked grin betraying the fact that he knew _exactly_ why.

 _Damn him!_ "Just do it!" Ren complied with a shrug, his grin only growing larger. Jaune began reaching out again, his fingers moving across the space between the two until his fingers brushed the hem of Ren's shirt. Holding the edge in a careful grip, he slowly eased the fabric up, resorting to pressing with his palms as his hands rose higher, revealing more and more of Ren's toned abdomen. As the fabric continually bunched against his fingers Jaune's hands began brushing against Ren's bare skin in their journey upward. Ren raised his arms.

 _Shit, I just need to get this over with._ A final swift motion later, Ren's shirt came off, discarded on the floor. He opened his eyes, once again finding Jaune's. "I'll admit, I thought you'd give up halfway," he commented, laughter in his eyes.

"I don't do anything halfway," Jaune replied with as much confidence as he could muster, keeping his eyes on anything _but_ Ren's body. _Damn._ "And you owe me fifteen Lien."

"No problem," he replied easily, "You won this round, after all. But do you really want to stop here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't you want to catch me off guard in revenge?"

Jaune's mind whirred as he considered the idea. _So he knows he flustered me. That's too bad, but I could've done a better job of hiding it. My fault. But he's right. All that's happened is I've gotten embarrassed. This could be a golden opportunity to turn the tables!_ He nodded slowly, feeling his confidence beginning to come back. _Chances to get Ren flustered are few and far between. I've got to take this chance!_ Part of him knew that getting Ren flustered was only part of the reason for his next comment, but he spoke anyway. "Okay. Then why don't you take off my shirt?"

"How much will you bet that I don't?"

Jaune thought for a moment. "Twelve Lien."

"Twelve? I can't break even that way."

Jaune shrugged, hoping desperately that his facade of confidence wouldn't be destroyed by the permanent flush that had spread across his face. "Take it or leave it," he said, beginning to move as if he was going to get up.

"Fine!" Ren responded a little too quickly, grabbing his forearm. "Don't go complaining when I actually do it though." To his satisfaction, Jaune noticed that a blush was slowly becoming visible on Ren's face as well. Ren pulled back his hand once Jaune sat back down completely.

"Complain?" Jaune huffed, "why would I complain, this is all completely consensu-WHOA!"

Ren had suddenly launched himself forward, grabbing Jaune's shoulders to prevent him from falling backward as his weight collided into the blond. He settled comfortably in Jaune's lap with his legs on either side, straddling him.

"W-what're you doing Ren?" the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"I'm taking your shirt off," he replied simply, as if him shirtlessly straddling his teammate was in no way out of the ordinary. Jaune bit his lip, but made no command for Ren to get up.

"Then, um, what are you waiting for?" he asked, now fully incapable of controlling the nervous quiver that had entered his voice. He looked from left to right, unsure of where to rest his gaze. He knew where he _wanted_ it to rest, if the sudden magnetic quality of Ren's lean muscle was any indication.

"I can't take of your shirt unless you let go of me," Ren responded, indicating Jaune's hands. Sure enough, they had wrapped around Ren's back when the boy had pounced in order to keep him upright. Jaune was suddenly very aware of the way Ren's back was flexing under his fingers.

"Oh!" He pulled his arms away and leaned back on them, but doing so pressed his hips into Ren's crotch, and if _that_ wasn't a surefire way to make him lose his composure, he didn't know what was. He opted instead to lean forward, putting only a slight bit of weight on his palms. If Ren noticed his shifting, he gave no indication.

He pulled Jaune's shirt up over a much longer period of time, likely teasing himself by taking in every inch of Jaune's skin he revealed. Ren had no reservations about laying his hands on Jaune's stomach as he pushed the shirt up, the blond shivered under his cool hands but didn't complain. Jaune's breath hitched as Ren's fingertips crossed over his nipples, making his head go fuzzy. _Complain? What could I possibly want to complain about?_ His head cleared when Ren tapped his arm, signalling him to lift his weight from his palms so his shirt could be pulled the rest of the way off. He complied, and his chest was exposed to the dorm air. Jaune made a quick mental note to thank Pyrrha for forcing him to work out day after day; at least he didn't need to worry about looking out-of-shape.

He laughed nervously as Ren looked over his form, trailing the lines and shadows of his body with his purple eyes. He couldn't tell for sure as the sun had just disappeared behind some clouds to give the room a dusky lighting, but Jaune was fairly certain the blush on Ren's face had only intensified. As it became clear that he wasn't going to speak, Jaune placed his hand over Ren's. He jumped at the contact.

"You okay?" Jaune asked, concerned.

"I'm. . . suddenly a little nervous."

Jaune smiled knowingly, hugging Ren to him as chastely as possible. "I know what you mean, I feel the same."

"I mean - I've never. . . Where do we go from here?" Ren whispered into his ear. "Are you okay with this?"

"I am," he said aloud, feeling as if the words had lifted a weight from his chest - a weight he hadn't realized was there. He _liked_ Ren; that was something he saw now. "Let's just take it slow, okay? Whatever feels natural."

"Whatever feels natural," Ren breathed, echoing his words. "Tell me if you don't like something, okay? And. . . tell me if you do, too," he added bashfully.

"I will," Jaune promised, leaning back and placing his hand on Ren's cheek. "You too, okay?" Ren nodded his assent. Then, catching him completely by surprise, Ren pushed him down onto the sheets, capturing both his wrists in a swift motion and subsequently pinning his arms above his head. Ren leaned over him like a black shadow. A _sexy_ black shadow.

"Is this okay?" he purred, lowering his face until they were inches apart.

 _Oh trust me, this is so much better than "okay."_ "Yeah," he responded, tracing Ren's ribs with one hand. Ren shivered at his fingertips, lowering his face even more until their noses touched.

A small part of him wanted to regain his personal space, to distance himself until he felt completely in control again, but another part most definitely _did not._ Having Ren pin him to the sheets with his body felt _amazing,_ and he'd be damned if he was about to let it end. The second part won out as their lips brushed together.

It was calm at first, a simple serene movement that connected the two in a moment of sacred trust. Then, the adrenaline and lust set in. When exactly had a simple game of courage turned into a lustful battle for control?

Ren's lips on his burned with ardour, trailing hot lines across Jaune's mouth. The fact that Ren - a constant force of calm and rationality in his life - could make him feel like he was on fire was nearly beyond his ability to grasp. But Ren himself wasn't; Jaune proved this by pulling Ren's hair loose from its signature ponytail, entangling his fingers in the black locks. Ren groaned into his mouth as he pulled the boy closer with rough force, parting his lips and swiping his tongue experimentally across Ren's lips. He was given entrance a second later without hesitation. The points of contact between his and Ren's bodies increased as they pressed desperately into each other.

They separated with a rush of breath, gasping. Ren collapsed onto him, allowing his full weight to rest, his arms trembling from the exertion.

" _Haah,"_ Ren panted, his breaths matching matching up with Jaune's.

"Holy shit," he agreed.

"I. . . don't think I can hold myself up anymore," he twitched weakly as if to demonstrate.

Jaune wordlessly wrapped his arms around Ren's torso, twisting his legs so as to roll the two of them over. Ren lay splayed on the bedsheets, hair wildly strewn about the pillows in a halo around his head. Jaune braced himself up with hands on either side of Ren's chest. The blush had not disappeared from his face, and he was sure his was still prominently displayed as well.

"Are you. . . Uhh," Jaune stammered, "Can I. . . have you?"

" _Yes."_

Jaune was pulled down, this time with Ren's fingers wrapped in his blond locks. Their lips collided together, tongues fighting for dominance as they explored each other. Jaune pressed his hips low into Ren's, grinding gently against him. A gasp escaped from his lips involuntarily.

Ren looked at him in surprise, then reached up to grab Jaune's rear, grinding into him then with even more force. Their eyes met after another moment, a bead of sweat running down the side of Jaune's face.

"As a man, it wouldn't do to back down now," Ren whispered.

"I mean," Jaune echoed, "as a man."

* * *

The next morning, the four members of team JNPR met up for breakfast as usual. Throughout the meal they interacted easily with one another, Jaune doing his best to keep his conversation within the casual realm of discussion, so as not to spark too many. . . _inconvenient_ memories of the previous night. He did not succeed, riveting his attention to his plate of food multiple times, whenever a blush threatened to creep across his features.

"Hey Jaune, are you feeling okay? You haven't spoken much today," Pyrrha asked, looking somewhat worried. Ren and Nora turned to him, although he could tell from his peripheral vision that Ren wasn't looking directly at him.

"O-oh, yeah, I'm fine!" Jaune responded, doing his best not to look guilty. "I just didn't sleep too well last night."

"Ren told me he was up late as well. . ." Nora began, raising a hand to thoughtfully cup her chin. "Huh, well that's weird. Ah well!"

"Well, just make sure you get a lot of sleep tonight," Pyrrha advised, her tone taking on a mother-like quality. She turned back to her plate to cut a pancake.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Ren from the corner of his eye, then looked away just as quickly, doing a terrible job of hiding his furious blush. Ren had mouthed something to him, the answer to an unspoken question between the two.

Would Jaune be catching up on sleep that night?

 _Not a chance._


End file.
